Before now, the only cemetery that was available for the inhabitants of Madzi community for use during burial by both Christians and Muslims is said to have been taken over by the traditional owners of the land who claimed that the land belonged to their forefathers.
NEWS PLATFORM learnt that the action by the said owners of the piece of land to preventing people from burying the corpses in the land which is now converted to farmlands has been posing a very serious challenge to the people of Watu and Madzi District in general.
At the moment, the concern of the people in the community is not losing their loved ones, but where to get a befitting final resting place for the remains of their loved ones.
Cross section of the residents who spoke to NEWS PLATFORM who was in the community on Monday, said that they no longer cry for the deaths of their loved ones, but cry for lack of place to bury their corpses, saying burial ceremony is now a harrowing experience to the community in its entirety.
One bitter experience the community had, was when a Pastor who served the community for many years lost his mother in-law, but outrightly denied the right to bury his in-law at the place, thereby forcing him to bury her in an uncompleted building of her late husband and father in-law of the Pastor.
However, due to high rate of deaths, the people are now finding it difficult to bury their deaths at home, a situation which necessitated public outcry for a virgin land to be converted to cemetery for the teeming electorate in the area.
It is in the light of the above that the member representing Michika constituency at the state House of Assembly, Hon. Joseph Ayuba Kwada took it upon himself and purchased a virgin land for the community which henceforth will be used as cemetery.
Speaking while presenting the documents of the land to the representatives of Christians and Muslims Communities at the site in Michika on Monday, the Member said that he came to hand over the land he bought for them to be used as cemetery.
Hon. Kwada posited that when he came for campaign, the youth of the community pleaded with him to help them buy a plot of land to be converted to cemetery, and thanked God for making it possible to fulfill his campaign promise.
He informed them that he bought it to be used by both Christians and Muslims, saying that he decided to buy it for them to address the challenges they encounter whenever someone dies.
According to him, there is no point for somebody to deny other people from burying their relatives in a land used to be a cemetery for ages and now claimed that it belonged to their forefathers.
Earlier, speaking on behalf of Christian community, Pastor Nuhu Abba appreciated the lawmaker for coming to the aid of the community, and prayed God to continue to open doors for him.
Also speaking on behalf of Muslims community, Ibrahim Abubakar disclosed that the member had wiped away their tears, saying that whenever the people of Madzi betray the Member, God will also betray them.
Baring their minds, the Councillor representing Madzi ward and representative of youth, Hon. Ayuba Yohanna and Emmanuel J. Vawa said the member has been doing the work of a Senator, Member House of Representatives, the Executive of the LGC and prayed God to grant him a successful tenure of office.
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